An apparatus that detects that a plurality of cards used for a table game are prepared in proper quantity is disclosed in International Publication No. WO02/064225A1. This literature discloses a technique in which a card has a code indicating a type of the card using UV ink or the like that reacts with a UV light, and it is detected whether a card deck used for a table game is a predetermined one by reading this code (Patent Literature 1).
There is also a technique in which information identifying a card is recorded in an IC chip or the like instead of using UV ink, and the IC chip or the like is embedded in the card together with an antenna that radiates electromagnetic waves so that the card can be remotely identified (Patent Literature 2).
In the above conventional apparatus, stacked cards are fed one by one using a roller or the like, and a UV code of each of separated cards is read to inspect the cards, thereby preventing cheating. For a table game, for example, a baccarat game, a card shooter apparatus storing a plurality of decks (generally six or eight decks) is used on a table, and a predetermined number of cards in the plurality of decks (416 cards in eight decks) in the card shooter apparatus are required to be prepared before start of the game. Further, if it is found that the predetermined number of cards in the plurality of decks (416 cards in eight decks) in the card shooter apparatus are not prepared at finish of the game, a strict rule may be applied to cancel all games that the card shooter apparatus has played. However, the conventional apparatus separates the cards one by one using the roller or the like and inspects the cards, and thus cannot inspect that the predetermined number of cards (416 cards in eight decks) are prepared with the plurality of cards being in the card shooter apparatus.
If cards in which an IC chip or the like is embedded and that can be remotely identified are used, a plurality of cards can be remotely inspected while being in a card shooter apparatus. However, such remote reading of information may have a possibility of theft of information by an advanced hacking technique, and cannot be used for table games.